Wireless telegraphy.



L. DE FOREST WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1905.

Patented Ju ly 6, 1909.

* UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

LEE DE Fonns'r,

or NEW YORK, N. Y.., ssrsuoa, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BE ronnsr RADIO TELEPHONE (.10.,A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

wmswss rmfi asrav j To allwhom it may concern; 4 I I e W Be it known that. 1, LEE DE FOREST, #1 cltiz'en ofthe United States of America, and

a ent of the city of New York, State of t --5 New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Wireless Telegraphy, the principles of which are set forth in the following specification and; accom anying draw1ngs, which disclose the form 0 the invention which I now consider to be the best,

3 usual form, as a'liquid, and its s ark is called a mercury vapor spark, alt ough other llquids maybe employed.

The invention consists in improvements in the construction, .form and relative arrangement of the parts of theap aratus,whereby it is rendered more durabl d and less liable -to self-destruction and more convenient for use in wireless telegraphy: Certain of the improvements are the result of the discovery made by me, that with the constructions dis-- closed herein, the changes are less apt to follow along one streak in the vacuum alongthe glass of-which the device is composed, so that the discharges are less apt to heatiand break the'glass and thus entirely destroy the device.

Ofthe' drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a device embodying my improvements Fig. 2 is a similar view of 40 a device embodying certain of the improvements shown in Figs], and Fig. 3 is' a similar view of a device embodying certain of the improvements shown in Fig 1.

As is shown in Fig. 1, E is'a spark-gap? vacuum tube, preferably composed of glass.

The vapor condensing chamber K forms the upper extremity of the tube, and is constructed with a depending annular ortion F, which forms an annular receptac e for the liquid M, such as mercury, which is the liquid preferably employed. This annular receptacle F is laterally dis osed, in that it is disposed entirely aroun the tube. The depending part of the condenser chamber K, may not, however, extend entirely around Specification of Letters Patent. Application and March 22, 1905. Serial No. 261,366

r 5 the tube to form an annular rece tacle. The

.tube as thus constructed is a( apted to be Vertical, osition, and when so used, the liquid wil be retained in the receptacle F, as will be readily understood. The expression .means not ti ped so great a degree toward the horizonta plane as to render the,device inoperative. i

It is obvious that the device may be tipped a considerable degree, but it is equally obvious that it is inoperative, as to some of its features, when used in a horizontal posi tion, or in a position tending toward-an inversion. The lower end of the tube forms operatively retained therein when the tube is used in a substantiallyvertical osition. A terminal A of metal, such as p atinufn, is sealed into the lower glasswall of the re I ceptacle F, its upper end extending inside the .wall of the receptacle and in electrical c011 tact with the liquid M. Another terminal is sealed into the glass wall of the receptacle I, and its upper end extends insidethe M in the bottom of the tube, 2'. e., in the receptacle I; These two terminals A and D may be connected to the electrical circuits any of the ways known to those skilled in the art ;'so that When the signaling key closes. the circuit, the vapor spark will pass between the liquid electrodes M in the rece tacles F and I. Ihave found that when t e device ,is constructed as described, so as to be capable of use in a substantially vertical osition, the vapor discharge is much less 11 ely to follow in a streak along the inside wall of the glass tube. The result is that, in the de scribed construction, there is much less ohanceof the tube beingdestroyed by the heating and consequent breaking of the glass,

asin cases'where the walls of the space between any twoliquid electrodes-might be ho'rizonta Between the condensing chamber K and the bottom receptacle I, are formed the laterally disposed liquid receptacles] G and H, which comprise depending portions 'tain the same when the tu e is used in a sub stantially vertical position; the liquid receptacle I being arranged to operatively re- Pat t Ju ia 1 0a substantially vertical, herein employed,-

wall and in electrical contact with the liquid.

used in 'a substantially vertical, or nearly the receptacle I for the liqiud' M, which is of a wireless telegraphy sending station,.in V

adapted to receive the li uidM, and to re tain the liqluid only-when the tube E is ina substantia y vertical position. These receptacles G and H are aterally disposed in the sense that they are formed in the side or sides of the tube E. Into these receptacles .Gr and H are sealed the terminals B and 0,

the manner described with respect to the .terminals A and D.

it permits the ifi'erent individual electrodes to be utilized indifferent pairs, thus allowing the use of a variety of voltages in the different cases when the exigencies of signaling require different electrical pressures.

In Fig. 2 is disclosed a form of the device I Wherefrom the laterally disposed electrode receptacles G and H are omitted,; the construction being otherwise as described with res ect to Fig. 1. 1

' n Fig. 3 is disclosed a form of the device wherefrom is omitted the annular receptacle F formed by the de ending portion of the condenser chamber the construction being otherwise as disclosed in Fig. -1.

I claim:

1. A spark gap device for Wireless telegraph transmittingapparatus including a.- substantially straight vacuum tube contain ing a liquid electrode in the bottom end thereotand an enlarged chamber at the upper end thereof into which the tube opens, said enlarged chamber constructed wlth a depending annular channel surrounding the -mouth of the tube, said channelcontaining a liquid electrode, said tube having laterally disposed offsets intermediate its ends form ing depending pockets to receive liquid electrodes, and circuit terminals extending into said liquid electrodes. ii 2. A spark gap device for Wireless telegraph transmitting apparatus, including a substantially straight vacuum tube, con? taining a liquid electrode at its lower end, and having a plurality of offset depending pockets intermediate its ends, said pockets containing liquid electrodes, and circuit terminals extending into said liquid electrodes.

3.. A spark gap device for Wireless tele graph transmitting apparatus, including a vacuum tube having a condensing chamber at one end and containing a liquid electrode at its other end,,said tube, intermediate its ends having laterally offset depending pock ets, each containing'a liquid electrode, and circuit terminals extending into said liquid electrodes. I

LEE. DEYFORESTT.

Witnesses:

E. S. 'PURDEY, O. L. Rosna'rs. 

